Must pay heed to late but sound advice from the Sindh CM
Finally the Sindh chief minister Qaim Ali Shah appears to have gotten his call of duty. With the situation in Sindh getting worse by the day, Shah has offered the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) a white flag. Admitting mistakes made in the provincial budget for the financial year 2013-14, Shah said, “If there is a mistake on our part, we are open to dialogue, as all misunderstandings and issues could be sorted out through negotiations.” The condition he appears to have offered MQM chief Altaf Hussain to review his policy of giving strike calls in mourning against killings. If the MQM takes a step forward and agrees, then the estimated Rs15billion loss per strike to the already ailing economy can be avoided.
Shah is right in saying that the law and order situation can be improved If the entire house supports the government with unison, but it also means that the ruling People’s Party Pakistan (PPP) needs to offer a share to other political parties. One of the key nodes of dispute shall be holding local bodies elections as early as possible and on an agreed upon formula. The Sindh CM also appeared amenable to holding the local bodies election early. Shah said, “Let the budget be approved. We can talk on the local government system which should be acceptable to all and in the interest of people.” Shah again offered the MQM the choice of becoming part of the government, and denied the allegation that the budget had a “rural bias.” Shah said, “Terming the budget as a rural budget would be injustice with PPP, as the government spent Rs64 billion on urban development during the past five years and gave Rs500 million additional grant to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation.” He is right, if anything budgets can be said to overprioritise urban spaces over rural and so increasing property tax on urban lands is also a sensible move for the provincial exchequer.
The Sindh budget debate has entered its sixth day and so far 119 lawmakers have participated in the debate. Some important points have been raised, which included the ones raised by the leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly Faisal Sabzwari of passing a new local governments law that is acceptable to all and the need to conduct an operation against illegal weapons in Sindh, which could begin with the city of Karachi. If the MQM has come out to offer such a measure, the PPP-led coalition should jump at the suggestion to restore peace in the financial capital of the country. The advise by Shah is belated but appropriate and the MQM appears ready to accept the fig leaf. If an agreement on improving the law and order situation, including tackling the Taliban presence in the city, and implementing a local bodies system is reached, there will be nothing like it. It is time that the MQM also delivers, irrespective of whether it joins the government or remains in opposition.
